Fire-escape



. 2 Sheets-Sheet;` 1. I. KNAPKE. FIRE ESCAPE (No Model.)

Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

ANDREW BAGRAHAM. PHUTOLITNU.WASN|NGTGN. D C

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2A.

I. KNAPKE.

, PIRBBSGAPB.

No. 552,531. Patented Ja,11.7, 1896.

Nrrn STATES AITENT Prion.

IGNATZ KNAPKE, OF NEW PINE CREEK, OREGON.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent-No. 552,531 dated January 7, 1896.

Application filed September Z7, 1895 Serial No. 563,918. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, IGNATZ KNAPKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Pine Oreck, in the county of Lake and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes of that class in which an extensible ladder is supported upon a wagon-body, having for its object to provide a device which is simple in construction, can be conveniently operated to raise the ladder to any point desired and rescue persons .in a burning building from the outside.

The invention consists of a wagon-frame mounted upon suitable wheels, a drum rotatably mounted on the under side of said body, a ladder made up of a series of intersecting rods in parallel planes, which are connected at their center by pivotal shafts and similarly connected to the adjacent rods at their ends. The lower rods are fulcrumed at their center to a transverse shaft passing through the wagon-body and their lower ends are connected through cords to the drums referred to. In connection with this ladder I employ a suspension-bridge which is connected at the upper end thereof and projects laterally therefrom, so that it may lead to a window of a burning house and permit the inmates thereof to escape thereby onto the extension-ladder referred to. This suspension-bridge is also made up of a series of intersecting rods pivoted at their center and connected at their outer ends to the adjacent rods, wherebythey may be extended for the purpose for which it is designed.

The invention also consists in other details of construction and combinations of parts,

, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my device shown in its closed position. Eig. 2 is a similar view of the same shown in its open position, with two of the wheels of the truckremoved and parts being broken away to show more clearly the interior construction. Fig. 3 is a similar. view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of my suspensionbridge.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the various views.

The truck l is mounted upon four wheels 2 2 and is made up of a pair of cross-beams 3 3 at the front and rear thereof and a pair of longitudinal beams 4 4 connecting the beams 3. The beams 4 4 are slightly separated at their center for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. Secured to the front and rear cross-beams 3 3 on the outside of the longitudinal beams 4 are a pair of parallel metallic beams 5 `6, the beam 6 having an extension 7 at its center. Metallic beams 8 similar to the beams 5 are also secured to the front and rear cross-beams 3 between the longitudinal beams 4. Rotatably mounted in the extension 7 and extending transversely across the machine beneath the beams 4 4 is a drum 9, having crank-arms 10 on each end thereof and provided with ratchet-wheels 11, which are engaged by pawls 12 for preventing backward movement of said drum. This drum 9 has secured to it at two points disks 13 13, which practically divide the same into three separate drums. Also secured to the front and rear cross-beams 3 are a series of semicircular guide-rods 14 14, extending downwardly and connected at their lower ends by a brace-bar 15.

.16 represents a shaft extending transversely through the center of the beams 4, 5, 6 and S. Fulcrumed at their centers upon the shaft 16 and located respectively between the metallic beams 5 6 on each side of the beams 4 and between the beams 8 S at the center of the truck are three pairs of intersecting rods 17 1S, the pairs being in parallel planes. These rods 17 1S are formed with bifurcatedlower ends which surround the semicircular guiderods 14 and are formed with rollers 19 19,

\ which actin engagement with said guide-rods 14. Three pairs of intersecting rods 17 1S havebeen illustrated and their lower ends are connected through cords 2O 20 with the drum 9, so that byturning the crank 10 on the end of said drum the lower ends of said rods 17 18 will be drawn together, thereby throwing upwardly their upper ends. The upper ends of the rods 17 18 are connected IOO by laterally-disposed rods 2l, to which are connected a similar series of crossed rods 22 23, which are connected at their centers by rods 24 and at their upper ends by rods 25. By this construction it will be seen that a lazy-tongs extension device is produced.

The construction just described may be continued indefinitely according to the height to which it is desired the ladder shall reach. An ordinary ladder 26 is connected to one of the rods 2l and bears at its lower end upon one of the longitudinal beams 4. On the opposite side of the device a similar ladder 27 leads downwardly from one of the rods 25 to the rod 2l. These ladders are continued alternately on different sides of the device up to the top. As has been heretofore described the pawl l2 and ratchet ll prevent backward movement of the drum 9 and thereby hold the extension-ladder at any point to which it may be raised. To prevent too great a strain, however, upon this pawl and ratchet, I provide at the upper end of the ladder a pair of notched locking-bars 28, which are pivoted to one end of the uppcrlateral connecting-rod 29 and attach the same to the opposite connecting-rod 30. By this means outward movement, and consequently downward movement, of the eXtension-lzulder is prevented. Also secured to the connecting-rod 29 of the upper set of intersecting rods is a drivers seat 3l. Pivoted to the connecting-rod 30 are a pair of inwardly-extending rods 32, which are pivotally connected through the links 33 to the rod 29, heretofore referred to, and are also provided with extensions 33, in which is rotatably mounted a drum or roller 34. A shaft 35 connects the upper ends of the rods 32, in which are fulcrumed a pair of intersectin g rods 36 37, their inner ends being connected through cords 3S to the drum 34. This drum is provided on its outer ends with crank-arms 30, by means of which it may be rotated. The outer ends of the rods '8G 37 are connected to similar angularly-arranged rods 40 4l, which are fulcrumed at their center by means of a shaft 42, and similar connections are made with the outerv ends of the rods 40 and 4l, thereby producing what I term a snspen sion-bridge.

Pivoted to each of the series of shafts 42 which connect the centers of the intersecting rods 40 and 41 and those corresponding therewith are inwardly-extending plates 43, as shown best in Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale, which form a floor which is adapted to be extended with the extension of the bridge. Cords or ropes 44 are connected to the upper ends of the forward intersecting rods of which this bridge is constructed and extend rearwardly through suitable guide-rings 45 and connect with the drum 34. By this construction it will be seen that the driver upon his seat 3l can, by turning the crank 3Q in one direction or the other, extend the extensionbridge to a window of a burnin ghouse or can contract the same when it is desired to move the bridge from the window and lower the ladder.

46 represents a windlass mounted in suitable bearings upon one of the cross-beams 3, around which a hose is wound which is connected at its upper end to a hook 47 upon the rod 30, so that with the upward movement of the extension-ladder bythe means just described the hose also will be unwound from its drum and elevated with the ladder and be within convenient reach of the driver upon the seat 3l.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with. a truck mounted upon suitable wheels and made up of a pair of cross beams and longitudinal beams separated one from the other, and a series of metallic plates secured to the cross beams of said truck frame, the outer of said metallic beams having extensions at their center, of a drum mounted transversely of the frame in said extensions, having crank arms upon its outer ends, ratchet wheels and pawls for preventing backward movement of said drum, a series of semicircular guide rods secured to the front and rear cross beams of said truck frame, a series of pairs of intersecting rods fulcrumed to the truck frame at their central points, having bifurcated lower ends acting in engagement with said semicircular guide rods, cords connected. to the lower ends of said rods and to said drum, and a series of similar intersecting rods pivoted to the pper ends of the rods fulcrumed in said truck frame, and ladders arranged alternately on opposite sides of said series of rods, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a truck mounted up on suitable wheels and made up of a pair of cross beams and longitudinal beams separated one from the other, and a series of metallic plates secured to the cross beams of said truck frame, the outer of said metallic beams having extensions at their center, of a drum mounted transversely of the frame in said extensions, having crank arms upon its outer ends, ratchet wheels and pawls for preventing backward movement of said drum, a series of semicircular guide rods secured to the front and rear cross beams of said truck frame, a series of pairs of intersecting rods fulcrumed to the truck frame at their central points, having bifurcated lower ends acting in engagement with said semicircular guide rods, cords connected to the lower ends of said rods and to said drum., and a series of similar intersecting rods pivoted to the upper ends of the rods fulcrumed in said truck frame, ladders arranged alternately on opposite sides of said series of rods, and notched locking bars pivoted to the upper end of said series of angnlarly arranged IOO IIO

rods and adapted to be attached to the opposite end thereof, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a truck mounted upon suitable wheels and made up of a pair of cross beams and longitudinal beams, separated one from the other, and a series of metallic plates secured to the cross beams of said truck frame, the outer of said metallic beamshaving eXtensions at their center, of a drum mounted transversely of the frame in said extensions, having crank arms upon its outer ends, ratchet Wheels and pawls for preventing backward movement of said drum, a series of semicircular guide rods secured to the front and rear cross beams of said truck frame, a series of pairs of intersecting rods fulcrumed to the truck frame at their central points, having bifurcated lower ends acting in engagement with saidsemicircular guide rods, cords connected to the lower ends of said rods and to said drum, and a series of similar intersecting rods pivoted to the upper ends of the rods fulcrumed to said truck frame, ladders arranged alternately on opposite sides of said series of rods, a pair of rods having rearward extensions at theirupper ends, pivoted to the transverse rod connecting the upper end of said series of intersecting rods, a drum having crank arms upon its outer end, fulcrumed in said extensions, and a suspension bridge pivoted to the upper ends of said rearwardly extending rod, made up of IGNATZ KNAPKE.

Vitnesses A. FARRINGTON, J. M. REID. 

